Metal skeleton frame construction for passenger-cars.



No. 782,059. PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905=- H. ROMNNDBR.

METAL SKELETON FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR PASSENGER CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1904.

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PATBNTED FEB. 7, 1905.

H. ROMUNDER. V METAL SKELETON FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR PASSENGER CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1904.

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911001412744 WWW W UNITED STATES Patented February '7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN ROMUNDER, OF MILXVAUKEE, \VISCONSIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,059, dated February 7, 1905.

Application filed April 26, 1904. Serial No. 204,964.

To [1]] whom it 7mm concern:

Be it known that I, H ERMANN RoMt'XDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Skeleton Frame Constructions for Passenger-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

)Iy invention aims to provide a car that is much stronger and more substantially built, more rigid, and of greater resisting power, especially to lateral tension and strains, than those now generally manufactured and used and that will afford greatest strength and wearing power, combined with simplicity of construction, without materially increasing the weight of the car or its manufacturing cost.

I intend my improved metal skeleton frame construction to be adapted more particularly for passenger-cars of the convertible and semiconvertible type for local traction and interurban electric service; butl do not, of course, limit myself to such, as the same improved construction may also be applied for passenger cars and coaches and similar vehicles, whether open, convertible, or closed and whether operated by electricity, cable, steam, or other power.

My present invention is an improvement on a former application, filed August 20, 1903, Serial No. 170,130, in which I show a metal skeleton construction for passenger-cars composed of a metal bottom frame formed of metal side and cross sills, a metal sideor body frame formed of a number of metal side posts or ribs, the lower portionof which is substantially straight and vertical and the upper portion curved on the arc of a circle, and lateral metal stiffening bars or braces riveted to said side posts at their upper portion and a metal roof-frame formed of a number of curved metal rafters and metal supporting-brackets, the said brackets being riveted to the metal side posts and connected to and supporting the rafters at their outer ends.

In my present invention I employ in place of the system of single lateral braces or diagonals between the side posts at their lower portion-and the metal length-bars connecting the several side posts at their upper portions,

as described and claimed in my former application sets of metal braces or counter-diagonals as tension members and substantially longitudinal metal bars as top, center, and bottom chords, formingsubstantially a metal truss-frame between two or more or all the side posts of a car-body in their lower straight portion, and connect the outer ends of the curved rafters and the snpporting-brackets with the. metal side posts by means of substantially vertical metal link-pieces, and also eon nect these link-pieces by means of metal bars extending substantially the entire length of the car-body about at the height of the letterboard, and also provide a number of metal struts connecting the said link-pieces and the horizontal metal bars. I also provide a number of metal braces or counter-diagonals and chords between the upper portions of the metal side posts of the end sections at both ends of the ear-body substantially from the level of the window-sill to the level of the rafterbrackcts and letter-board for the purpose of stiffening the side or body frame laterally, as illustrated in the section shown to the left of Figure 1. Additional auxiliary metal rafters may also be provided between the principal rafters O and secured at their outer ends to the horizontal metal bars connecting the linkpieces.

)Iy present invention therefore consists, mainly, in the novel features and devices above outlined, as hereinafter fully set forth, and delined in the claims.

One form of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the metal skeleton frame construction of part of a passengercar body embodying my invention, showing two side sections and one end section. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of one-half of the car-body substantially on line I I of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail showing in section, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the upper part of the metal frame of the car-body.

A A are the metal side posts, suitably connected at the bottom to the metal side sills I; at certain distances apart.

C C are the curved metal rafters, suitably secured at their outer ends to metal supporting-brackets D and link-pieces E E, the said brackets D and link-pieces E being riveted or otherwise suitably fastened to the metal side posts A A.

F F are metal bars extending substantially the entire length of the car-body about the height of the letter-board and are riveted or otherwise suitably connected to the metal linkpieces E E.

G- G are metal struts riveted to the metal link-pieces E E and the metal bars F F.

H H are metal braces or counter-diagonals, and K K are metal bars forming top, center, and bottom chords, the said counter-diagonals H H and chords K K being riveted to the side posts and forming substantially metal trussframes between the side posts at their lower portion approximately from the level of the side sills to about the level of the windowsills. These metal truss-frames, with their counter-diagonals H H and chords K K, may be arranged between two or more or all the side posts of the car-body at their lower portion and preferably also between the upper portions of the metal side posts of the end sections at both ends of the car approximately from the level of the window-sills to the level of the rafter-brackets D and letter-board for the purpose of laterally stiffening the side or body frame.

L L are additional auxiliary rafters, of metal or other suitable material and construction, that may be provided between the principal rafters C C and suitably connected to one or both of the metal bars F F.

By means of these metal braces, counters, struts, and trusses I reinforce the metal skeleton frame described in my former application and accomplish an absolutely uniform distribution of the lateral tension and strains over the metal bottom, side or body, and roof frame and obviate the possibility of swaying or shifting of the top portion or roof-frame of the car-body on account of lateral thrusts or strains, and as these said metal braces, counters, struts, and trusses may be comparatively light they will not materially increase the weight of the car-body, but greatly add to its strength, rigidity, and wearing power, while maintaining its simplicity of construction and low manufacturing cost.

I disclaim all matter here shown and described which is claimed in my former application.

What I claim is 1. A metal skeleton frame for passengercars, composed of a suitable metal bottom frame, a metal side or body frame and a metal roof-frame, metal link-pieces, connecting the metal rafters and metal side posts of the body and roof frame, metal bars, suitably connected to the said link-pieces and extending substantially the entire length of the car-body,

and metal struts, riveted to the metal linkpieces and longitudinal bars; and a number of counter diagonal braces and a number of metal chords, riveted to the metal side posts andforming substantially truss-frames between two or more or all the side posts at their lower portions and between the upper portions of the metal side posts of the end sections at both ends of the car-body, substantially as shown and described.

2. A metal skeleton frame for passengercars, composed of a suitable metal bottom frame, a metal side or body frame and a metal roof-frame, and a number of metal braces or counter-diagonals and a number of metal bars or chords, riveted to the metal side posts of the end sections at both ends of the car-body, at their upper and lower portions, approximately from the side sills to the level of the rafterbrackets, and to two or more or all the side posts at their lower portions, approximately from the side sills to the level of the window-sills, the said counter-diagonals and chords forming substantially metal trussframes between said side posts; and metal linlvpieces, supporting the metal rafters and connecting the outer ends of said rafters with the metal side posts, longitudinal metal bars, suitably secured to said metal link-pieces and extending substantially the entire length of the car-body, metal struts, riveted to the said link-pieces and longitudinal bars, and additional auxiliary metal rafters, provided be tween the principal rafters and suitably secured to the said longitudinal bars, all substantially as shown and described.

3. A metal skeleton frame for passengercars, composed of a number of metal side posts and metal rafters, forming a metal body and roof frame, a number of metal chords and metal counter-diagonals, suitably riveted to and forming metal truss-frames between any desired number of side posts of the car-body, and a number of metal link-pieces, suitably connected to the metal rafters and side posts and to metal bars, extending substantially the entire length of the car-body, and to metal struts; the said truss-frames, link-pieces, bars and struts forming a metal skeleton framework, reinforcing the said metal roof and body frame, substantially as shown and described.

4:. In a metal skeleton frame for passengercars metal truss-frames provided between a number of metal side posts at their lower portions, approximately from the side sills to the level of the window-sills, and between the side posts of the end sections at both ends of the car-body, at their upper portions, approximatel y from the level of the window-sill to the level of the rafter-brackets and letter-board, the said metal truss-frames being formed by counter diagonal metal braces ortension members and metal bars or chords, suitably riveted to the metal side posts, for the purpose of reinforcing the metal side or body frame of the car, substantially as shown and described.

lna metal skeleton frame for passengere: rs metal link-pieces, suitably connected to the metal side posts and rafters of the carhody, and longitudinal metal bars, suitably connected to said link-pieces and extending substantially the entire length of the car-body, and metal struts, riveted to the said longitudinal metal bars and the said metal link-pieces, and auxiliary rafters, suitably secured to the said metal bars; the said longitudinal bars, link-pieces, struts and auxiliary rafters forming a metal skeleton framework reinforcing the metal roof and body frame of the car, substantially as shown and described.

6. Ina metal skeleton frame for passengercars metal link-pieces, metal struts and metal bars suitably connected to each other and forming together with auxiliary metal rafters a metal skeleton framework, suitably secured to and reinforcing the metal side posts and metal rafters, forming the side or body and the roof-frame of the car; the said metal bars extending substantially the entire length of the car-body at a suitable height, and the auxiliary rafters being suitably connected to the said metal bars, substantially as shown and de scribed.

T. The above-described metal frame construction for passenger-cars composed of metal trusses provided between the metal side posts of the car-body and suitably connected thereto; metal link-pieces connecting the outer ends of the metal rafters and the metal side posts; metal bars extending substantially the entire length of the car-body at a suitable height and riveted to the said metal link-pieces; and metal struts suitably secured to the said metal linkpieces and the said metal bars, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERMANN ROML? N DER.

W'itnesses:

CARL S. Freeman, ARNo Znnmnuaxu. 

